foodie: roasted kohlrabi & sauteed garlic scapes

our csa veggies never cease to impress!  this week brought us kohlrabi, colorful carrots and garlic scapes, plus much more :-)



flowers from the csa

i must be honest, prior to this week i had never cooked or eaten kohlrabi before.  it's a slightly sweet yet earthy root vegetable that is great cooked or raw -- roasted or in a salad or slaw.

i decided to roast the kohlrabi along with the gorgeous carrots i got from the barefoot gardens csa.  then, i sauteed up the garlic scapes with some onion until they were buttery, soft and delicious!

veggies for two...

2 medium kohlrabi, majority of outer skin removed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3-4 medium carrots, prepped and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
olive oil
salt
pepper

preheat oven to 375/400. arrange carrots and kohlrabi on a baking sheet, drizzle with a bit of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. roast for 30 minutes or until veggies are tender and begin to brown.

more veggie ideas...

1 vidalia onion, chopped
handful of garlic scapes, cut into 1 inch long pieces
olive oil
salt
pepper

while the other veggies roast, saute the onion and garlic scapes in olive oil until onions begin to caramelize and garlic scapes are tender.  season with salt and pepper.

once cooked, the kohlrabi becomes slightly sweet, while still remaining earthy and hearty.  the garlic scapes (basically baby garlic), are subtly garlicky and very buttery!  yum!

serve the veggies with brown rice and a salad for a complete meal.

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and, just to make you smile, here's a pic of olive enjoying her baby-size vanilla ice cream :-)

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foodie: rainbow chard pesto

my husband and i recently joined a csa (community supported agriculture).  basically it works like this, you pay a lump sum at the beginning of the season (which generally breaks down to $25-40/week) for fresh veggies, fruits, flowers and herbs from spring through early fall!  not only are the fresh pickins' beautiful and delicious, they force you out of your culinary rut when things like kohlrabi and rainbow chard find their way into your basket...

we were heading to an outdoor concert -- concert under the stars put on by the riverside symphonia -- last weekend, and i had offered to bring a crudite platter with hummus and pesto for dipping.  so, i decided to put some of my csa finds to good use!

vegan rainbow chard pesto

1 cup no-salt cashews
1 small bunch rainbow chard or swiss chard (csa)
1 cup basil leaves (csa)
1 tbsp garlic
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup almond milk
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

clean chard and basil, and but everything into your food processor.  blend until a thick, creamy and relatively smooth mixture develops.  it's that simple!

enjoy with fresh veggies, on a homemade pizza, with polenta, or on a sandwich!

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foodie: polenta pie with cashew "cheese"

this simple, yummy recipe was inspired by the feel good guru's recipe in her forks over knives cookbook. not only is this polenta pie hearty, filling and delicious, it's also gluten-free and vegan!

here's what you'll need for polenta pie for 2...

12 oz polenta (for simplicity sake, i used 1/2 a store bought log of polenta)
toppings -- like sauteed veggies (i used onions and red peppers with garlic), marinara sauce and herbs
olive oil
water

for the "cheese":
1 cup no-salt cashews
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp minced garlic
herbs of your choice
1/8 to 1/4 cup of water
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional) -- this adds a tangy, cheesy flavor

cashew "cheese" balls

preheat oven to 375 degrees

1. spray baking tray or pizza stone with olive oil.  spread polenta onto tray (1/2 inch thickness).  i had to add a bit of water to the polenta and mash it a bit before spreading it out.  bake for 30 minutes or until edges are crispy.

2. as the polenta crust bakes, saute your veggies and make the cashew "cheese".  in your food processor, combine cashews, lemon juice, salt, garlic, herbs and yeast (if using) -- blend.  add water little by little until you achieve a thick cream cheese-like consistency.  roll cheese into balls.

3. once crust is done, take it out of the oven, and top it with marinara (or pesto!), veggies and about 1/4 of the "cheese".  i sliced up a few of the cheese balls and then pressed them flat on top.

4. put pie back in the oven for another 10 minutes or so.

allow to cool for a few minutes before slicing.  this pie, though delicious, does not hold-its-own -- you'll have to enjoy it with a fork and knife :-)

bon appetit!

on a different note, here are a few pictures of our dog-baby, olive, in the back yard.  she's such a cutie!!!

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foodie: banana nut bread (gluten-free)

since beginning my gluten-free experiment 6 weeks ago, i haven't had any bread in the house...not even gluten-free varieties.  but with weekend visitors on their way, i decided i'd try my hand at making a gluten-free breakfast bread for our morning meal.

here's what you'll need...

2 cups plantain flour
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
2 tbsp ground flaxseeds
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1 banana (over-ripe and mashed)
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
2 tbsp maple syrup

topping:
1/2 cup chopped nuts (i used more walnuts and pecans)
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 tbsp butter, melted
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon

preheat the oven to 350

reseaching recipes for inspiration....

1. combine flour, chopped nuts, flaxseeds, cinnamon, nutmeg and baking powder in a medium bowl.

2. in a large bowl mix together the eggs, banana, vanilla, yogurt, coconut oil and syrup until well combined.  slowly add dry mixture to wet mixture and fold together.

3. pour batter into well-oiled 9 inch pie plate.

4. mix together topping ingredients and sprinkle over the bread.

5. bake for approximately 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

to top our bread, i made a spread with equal parts butter and greek yogurt, and then i flavored it with maple syrup and cinnamon to taste : )  makes 8-12 servings, depending on how big of a slice you want.

FYI - the bread had good flavor, but was a little dry (it definitely was better with the butter/yogurt spread i mentioned above).  next time i make it, i would probably add 2 bananas or extra yogurt to moisten it up a bit!

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